Sherlock Holmes and the Chinese Junk Affair and Other Stories by Roy Templeman Page B

arrived carrying the Prime Minister and three members of his Cabinet, which included Sir Simon, of course. In the other two coaches were a number of hefty policemen.
    The Prime Minister seemed in a less sombre mood than the last time we had met, the Cabinet members likewise. The reason, I was to learn later, was that Holmes had promised the Prime Minister to end the uncertainty about the ‘Transposer’, and was prepared to prove his findings. The party followed Holmes into the building, the policemen on guard outside.
    The workshop was divided into three rectangular areas and had been built in the early eighteenth century, stone walls and roofed in Welsh slate. The three workshops were identical in size and layout, being, as I have mentioned, rectangular in shape. All three were connected by a corridor to allow passage from one workshop to another. A further door in each workshop allowed the workers to make use of the narrow piece of grass space between the buildings for the purpose of visiting the long since demolished wooden privies. The main reason for the space between the workshops, however, was to allow windows to be placed in every wall to make full use of the daylight.
    Chairs had been arranged in a small office which was warmed by a blazing coal fire. Holmes later confessed that because of the years between the fireplace being used and now, the problem of removing birds’ nests, soot and dislodged bricks had been a problem for one of the many casual workers whom Holmes employed from time to time. However, lighting the fire a few days before the visit had ensured there was no problem on the day.
    Holmes cleared his throat as a means of showing his intention that he was about to explain the purpose of the visit.
    ‘Prime Minister, gentlemen. In a few minutes I want to demonstrate, on a reduced scale of course, the sight which Sir Simon beheld in the underground ballroom of Halam Hall some weeks ago. The vessel you will observe is much, much smaller, but the principle of the arrangement is the same, being surrounded by posts and strands of copper wire, as was the junk at Halam Hall.
    ‘You will hear the same noise of electrical generators as Sir Simon did. I give you the same warning too, as Rodger Hardy gave to Sir Simon: keep away from the copper wires and do not be tempted to touch the vessel by reaching between the strands of electric wire. If you follow these instructions, you will be perfectly safe. Would you kindly follow me?’
    We entered the first of the three workshops. The windows were large, each comprised of many small panes of glass. Needless to say these were almost opaque, covered by cobwebs and the dirt of years. The floor was filthy, the flagstones cracked and uneven. At the rear of each workshop was a raised cabin with windows through which, over the years, countless overseers had kept an eagle eye on a long since dead workforce. Each cabin was reached by a short flight of wooden steps.
    I wondered about the men, women and children who had spent their lives from early morning light to fading dusk, toiling away at their monotonous jobs, in this prison-like place.
    I suppose the size of each workshop was much smaller than that of the ballroom at Halam Hall. However, dominating the centre of the floor was a spanking new iron boat. A small barge would be a better description, about half the length of a canal boat. We were to find out later, its duty in life was to provide a platform for workmen painting or repairing the sides of ships.
    Around the boat were a number of upright posts supporting the copper wires, similar to those described by Sir Simon as seen around the Chinese junk in the ballroom.
    I looked at the Prime Minister and compared the contrast between these squalid surroundings and those of No. 10 Downing Street.
    I noted he was missing nothing and his eagle eyes were alert and searching as he walked slowly around, followed by Holmes and the three Cabinet ministers.
    The Prime Minister,